Reaction
by Chibi Pika
Summary: When a Team Rocket Executive is chosen for destiny, little more than a reaction can betray the Legendaries... One shot.


Reaction

I don't know why I never noticed before.

Never noticed that the sky seemed to darken every time I tread the forests of the Johto routes I knew so well. I suppose I thought it was just some weird coincidence and never paid any mind to the jagged bolts of lightning that streaked the sky that day. Never realized what it could stand for.

My work for the moment had been done. A friend had left his post on Team Rocket to settle some matters elsewhere, and I had filled his position. It was busy work, but I was finished at the time, and no missions were planned. No missions were _ever_ planned, and it almost seemed like Giovanni had forgotten about the Johto Force with how much grief a bunch of Kanto rebels had been giving him.

It was for that reason that I left the base and wandered off into the rough, overgrown trees of Route 44. Immensely tall pines blocked out all traces of light, but even if they hadn't, the sky was a dark, gloomy overcast with a miniscule drizzle of icy rain that was also hindered by the conifers. It was late winter, and the crunch of dead leaves and shed pine needles announced my existence to the few Pokémon and animals of the woodland. My baggy pants caught on the spindly dormant shrubbery as I continued on to the place—the clearing where I and my trusted Steel and Electric Pokémon had trained so many times before.

The sky was even worse now, with twisted streaks of vivid light booming in the afternoon storm. And yet I only just now paid any mind to how the electricity seemed to be centered around the ridge that overlooked the gap in the trees I had now reached. The persistent storms that surfaced at my presence had been silently nagging in the back of my mind for quite some time, and it would only be a minor inconvenience to investigate.

I retrieved a Poké ball from my belt and lightly tossed the red and white sphere, allowing it to explode into a brilliant flash of ivory light. The energy immediately took the form of an immense vulture, tall as I was and completely covered in a metallic sheen. It flexed its massive, scarlet, razor-edged winged and nodded its pointed head for me to mount. I sat on its lower back, using its long, stiff tail to hold myself in place, and then rode the Skarmory up to the cliffside.

I was well aware that lighting strikes the highest point, but I had lost all fear of such electricity after wielding it so long. My bird clinked as its metal-scaled talons touched down on the rough gravel. I recalled the steel creature into its ball and looked around, somewhat annoyed to see that all traces of lightning had gone.

It was just some stupid coincidence, nothing worth thinking about. I didn't know why I suspected anything. Right then, the sky was once more illuminated with the flash of the storm, but this time far off into the distance.

"Just some stupid storm, nothing to do with this ridge or the fact that I'm outside," I muttered under my breath, reaching once more for where I had placed my metal bird's Poké Ball. But just as my fingers touched the glossy exterior of the device, the slightest hints of a faint growl reached my ears.

The hair on the back of my neck pricked, and I immediately spun around to stare into the trees at the edge on the forest on the ridge. A soft glow emanated from the midst of the plant life, accompanied by the slow patter of footsteps.

Even before it reached my sight, I knew. I don't know how, but I knew. An impossibly large beast stepped into the clearing, at least six feet at the shoulders, maybe more. Thick muscle lay tensed beneath a vibrant coat of goldenrod with jagged ebony stripes, and despite its overall appearance of some nightmare tiger, the angular look to its muscles and frame had something doglike in it as well.

Its pure red eyes seemed to glare daggers at me from beneath its midnight-black face and pointed ears. And as its thickly clawed paws stepped toward me, my fearful awe rapidly transformed into fierce apprehension.

I reached for a Poké Ball and hurled the orb as quickly as possible, unleashing from it my most powerful beast. A humongous armored serpent emerged, assuming a battle position almost instantly. Its heavy skull was held low to the ground as the rest of the silver segments of its body rotated rhythmically.

"Wait, human," the saber-toothed beast uttered threateningly.

No, I wouldn't wait. I knew that that thing was as deadly as it was powerful and unique. And an opportunity like this was but one in a lifetime. I felt the cold surface of the ball in my left pocket. …Not yet…I would have to fight it first….

"Steelix, immobilize it!" I shouted.

The tiger let out a roar as my metallic snake surged forward toward its target. The Legendary lightning beast lunged out of the way in an almost fluid motion, letting massive strings of lightning writhe from the curled violet mane on its back. Incalculable voltage struck my steel creature, but the pain in its piercing red eyes was very limited. The Raikou had to know that my Steelix was immune to electricity, but was hoping that its sheer power would be enough to overtake the thick steel snake.

"You _dare_ betray me!" it shouted with pure malice in its thunderous voice.

"Steelix, Earthquake!" I commanded, oblivious to its yells.

My Pokémon obeyed and pounded its now glowing tail into the ground, letting loose incredible shock waves at the Legendary beast. But with impossibly fast reflexes, the tiger dodged the assault and from the look in its eyes, it realized that it was trapped. I could use long distance moves if it tried to run away, and earthquake would keep it from being able to simply run away. It would have to defeat the Steelix if it were to escape, and even then, I had a whole team of many other highly trained creatures.

I realized what it was going to about the same time it did. I had been expecting a long, drawn out battle, but this thing was built for speed, and it rapidly changed its course and came streaking right at me at what must have been a hundred miles an hour. In less than a second, it jumped up in the air, coming right for me. Seven-inch fangs aimed for my throat.

It was more of a reaction than anything. I pulled my left hand from my pocket, tightly clutching the purple ball I'd had with me the whole time and let it fly directly into the tiger's face.

Its scream filled the air as the ball absorbed its entire body into its core. It fell like an iron lead, even though I knew its weight had scarcely changed since the beast had been converted to pure energy. The violet ball shuddered, but I knew that the Legendary Pokémon's efforts to escape were futile. The ball could be blocked, but once inside, a Pokémon could never break free, no matter how powerful.

The orb gave one last twitch, and then lay still.

I stared at the lone Master Ball lying on the ground before instinctively recalling my Steelix and taking in everything that had happened. Wild Pokémon that watched the battle from the safety of the trees were now emerging and muttering amongst themselves.

I had captured it. Raikou, the Legendary Johto Beast of Thunder, which the Kanto force had tried and failed to imprison and control, was now mine. I gazed at the sphere, feeling as though some sort of evil was emanating from it. I shook my head to clear such thoughts. I was a Rocket…how could I feel remorse for making what would probably be the best action toward the glory of the Johto Force ever?

And yet still…what had it meant by that I had betrayed it? I had never seen Raikou before, and it was its own fault for stalking me. But then…was there a reason it had been following me? I had heard the tales of the Legendary Pokémon following those that they deemed worthy. But worthy for what?

No time to think about that now. The beast was mine, and that was all that mattered. And the objective cries from the wild Pokémon were growing fiercer by the moment.

I picked up the ball and ran.


End file.
